


Dying Dream

by EclipseOfTheWild



Series: Linked Universe Oneshots [6]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom
Genre: (Obviously), Angst, Coma, Dreams, F/M, I love him, Just making that clear, Legend is a soft boy, Lots of good angst though, Oops, The Legend/Marin relationship is barely there besides like, a mention, sometimes, this is not a romance fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-28 11:44:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20778035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EclipseOfTheWild/pseuds/EclipseOfTheWild
Summary: "Legend looked down, seeing nothingness expanding from where he stood. It enveloped Koholint Island, the ocean, even the sun. It all faded away.It disappeared like the dream it was."All dreams die eventuallyBut Legend isn't ready to let this dream go.





	Dying Dream

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who's got some Legend angst for Link's Awakening? This writer right here!
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy!

_Legend walked along the shore, sighing softly as he watched the waves gently lap against the sand. The sun was setting on the ocean, the light rippling across the waves._

_The warmth of the day was finally dying off to be replaced with the coolness of the evening. Wind blew gently, a few palm trees swaying in the breeze. _

_It was serene. _

_Then, without warning, the feeling of sand under his feet disappeared. Legend looked down, seeing nothingness expanding from where he stood. It enveloped Koholint Island, the ocean, even the sun. It all faded away._

_It disappeared like the dream it was._

Legend opened his eyes, panicked. Ever since his adventure on Koholint, he had dreams of that place every night, without fail. And every night, without fail, it ended the same way; the island faded away, along with all his friends, along with Marin. 

He sometimes wondered if it was _really_ just a dream. Maybe he was just reliving it, over and over, like a time loop. Maybe he kept on reviving it, only to destroy it as he left the land of dreams and was thrust into the ‘real’ world.

Legend shook his head; now was not the time for such thoughts. Pushing the thought out of his mind for the time being, he glanced around at the camp.

Most of the group was just starting to wake, besides Wild, who was already starting to prepare breakfast, and Wind, who was eagerly watching him as he cooked.

Legend stood up from his bedroll, yawning. The sun appeared to have risen a while ago, it was just barely up in the sky, and the air was cool and crisp. He waved silently at the others, opting to sit on one of the logs they had situated near the campfire as seating.

With nothing else to do, and everyone else engaged in conversation, his traitorous mind yet again drifted to the island that haunted his dreams. Why was it always Koholint? The one place he missed so much, but could never return to. And even when he saw it in his dreams, it was just doomed to die, again and again. 

When he woke, it was gone, a reality that he couldn’t truly be a part of. 

Sometimes, he almost resented living in the world he did. Even if it was just a dream, he desperately wished to be in their world; to sit next to Marin and watch the sea together every day. Sometimes he just…wanted to sleep forever.

To always live in his dreams. Yet, he couldn’t. 

For every morning, he opened his eyes, and that world was ripped from his grasp; every single night. It was just an endless cycle of suffering. Legend smiled bitterly. He certainly knew a thing or two about suffering. 

_’They probably know a thing or two about it too, considering how they always die at the end. They always fade away when you wake. You kill them; Over and over again.’_ His mind helpfully reminded him.

Legend released a shaky breath, standing up, and alerting the others. He couldn’t deal with the sudden flood of emotions this morning, not in front of the others.

“I’m…going for a walk.” He said, not giving them time to reply before striding off into the forest.

Birds happily whistled cheery tunes, the sun shining brightly overhead. The woods seemed to be practically bursting with life. Even as he felt down, Legend could admit it was a nice day. Though, often, he cursed the goddesses for nice days like this.

Why did this land get to enjoy days like this, when other places couldn’t? When Koholint Island disappeared and was written off as some dream? Even if it was a dream, to Legend, it was a reality; a reality that he had destroyed. 

They couldn’t enjoy a sunny day like this one, they couldn’t hear the birds chirping, or feel the warmth of the sun on their faces. They didn’t even exist outside of his mind. They were cursed to only live when he slept, and to die again and again when he awoke.

Suddenly, an idea struck. Hyrule had lots of sleeping potions in his bag, for when one of the Links were having sleeping troubles. They could help one sleep longer if he took enough, right? He could stay there longer, let them _live_ longer. 

It was the least he could do for them, after all that he had done to them. Besides, a little more sleep never hurt anyone, right? Satisfied, smiling slightly, Legend strode back to camp, optimistic. It was a start, a start to make amends with the ones who he hurt so much.

And he would do _anything_ to let them live, to let them be happy.

No matter the consequences. 

Legend strolled back into camp, a small smile adorning his face. Purposefully ignoring the concerned glances he got, he sat back down next to the others and started eating from his abandoned plate.

Warriors was the first to break the awkward silence, “So, what’s got you so chipper after storming out of camp earlier?

“Just realized something, that’s all.” He hummed, “Oh, Hyrule, speaking of, you still got those sleeping potions in your bag?”

“Uh, yeah, I got plenty, why do you ask?” The brunette replied, curious.

Legend shrugged, “I’ve just been having some trouble sleeping.”

Setting his empty plate aside, Hyrule grabbed his bag from nearby and pulled out a single, purple potion, “This should do the trick, it’s definitely helped me during some rough nights. Don’t take the whole thing though, or else you’ll basically get knocked out for a day.”

Sleeping for an entire day? That would mean Koholint Island would live for an entire day; a whole day to let them enjoy their lives, to let them _exist_.

That wasn’t such a bad idea. 

With a grin, he took the potion from the brunette, “Thanks Hyrule, I’m sure this will help a lot.” 

Hyrule regarded him with a strange look for moment, almost as if suspicious, but he shook his head and turned away, walking off to put his bag next to his bedroll. Time stood up, saying something about setting out, but Legend wasn’t paying attention.

He was staring at the purple potion that lay in his hand. 

The purple liquid was opaque, not allowing any light to shine through. It didn’t even seem to reflect anything in the sunlight. It was like a deep void, sucking in the light and not letting it escape. It was his doorway to his dreams, to be sucked in, to see that land live for just a while longer.

Pocketing the potion, he set about packing his things along with the others. There was a time for everything; he just had to be patient. 

“Alright, let’s set up camp here for the night.” Time announced, setting down his supplies, much to the relief of the others. 

They had been walking for nearly the entire day, and had run into several groups of monsters along the way, so they were all quite exhausted at that point. Legend dropped his bedroll on the ground, rolling it out and collapsing onto it.

He heard the others chatting amongst themselves, gathering around a newly lit campfire, but he couldn’t find it in him to join them. Legend pulled out the potion that was waiting in his bag, the dark concoction was illuminated by the glowing fire.

Uncorking the bottle, he looked over at the others to make sure they weren’t looking before raising it to his lips and drinking every last drop of the potion. Almost immediately, he felt extremely drowsy. Legend’s eyes were heavy, mouth opening in a yawn.

“’Night.” He mumbled sleepily as his head hit his makeshift pillow. 

Darkness swallowed his vision, and the world faded away.

_”Link.”_

_Legend was floating; darkness surrounded him like a blanket, enveloping his entire being._

_“Link!”_

_Light suddenly cut through the void, making his vision go white. After a moment, it cleared, and he saw bright blue skies, the sun shining down on him. He felt coarse sand under his hands as he gripped the ground._

_Sitting up, Legend looked around, starting slightly when he saw a familiar redhead._

_“Link! You’re finally awake!” Marin exclaimed, smiling, “I found you sleeping here and I was worried!”_

_He blinked, before smiling back, “Oh, guess I dozed off.”_

_“You’re so silly, Link! Come on! I have a surprise for you!” She helped him to his feet, before turning and running off, leaving Legend to run after her. _

_She led him across the beach, through the grassy plains, and to a tall cliff. The blue ocean sparkled brightly under the sunlight, almost like a gemstone. The grass under their feet swayed softly with the breeze. _

_Marin stopped, and turned to him, “So? What do you think?”_

_Legend was confused for a moment, until he noticed what was just next to them. There was a small blanket spread out on the ground, with a basket and a few plates sitting on top. A small vase of hibiscus flowers was just next to the basket._

_“A picnic?” He asked, staring at the arrangement._

_“Do you not like it?” _

_Legend shook his head, grinning, “I love it.” _

_The two sat down, quickly digging into the sandwiches that Marin had packed into the basket. After a moment, the redhead set her sandwich down, biting her lip nervously._

_“Um, Link?” _

_He stopped, sandwich halfway to his mouth, “Yeah?” _

_“Can I…tell you something?” Marin inquired, averting her gaze._

_“Of course!” Legend smiled encouragingly, “You can tell me anything.”_

_“I’ve…been wanting to tell you this for a while, but…Link…I think I-“ Her voice went silent, lips still moving._

_Legend tilted his head slightly, “Marin? What was that? I couldn’t hear you.”_

_Her lips moved again, no sound escaping them. _

_“…end!” A new voice called out, making him snap his head around, looking for the source._

_“Legend!” It repeated._

_He looked back at Marin, confused, but she was gone. The sky was dark, the ocean was gone, and the island was rapidly disappearing. No, no, he was supposed to have more time! Why didn’t he have more time?_

_“Legend!”_

_The last of the land faded away, and he fell into the abyss._

“No!” Legend bolted up from his bedroll.

“Legend! Thank the goddesses, you’re awake!” The voice from before exclaimed. He turned, seeing Hyrule smiling with relief, along with the others with various expressions ranging between seriousness and sharing Hyrule’s relief.

Time spoke first, “Legend, you were sleeping for an entire _day_, and we found out that you drank the _entire_ bottle of sleeping potion. Care to explain?” 

“I forgot that I was only supposed to drink a bit I guess. It was a harmless accident.” Legend shrugged.

“A ‘harmless accident’? Legend, we could have gotten attacked while you were down, and then you would’ve been _defenseless_ against any and all attacks, and we would’ve had to defend you from them, which could’ve gotten someone, including _you_, seriously hurt.” Time scolded. 

Legend glared, “Well I’m sorry, it’s not like I _meant_ to be a deadweight.”

_Yet he intentionally drank the entire bottle of potion, knowing full well what it would do._

The older Link’s eyes widened slightly, “That’s not what I meant, we were just worried-“

“Well, I’m sorry for worrying you, but I’m fine. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go take a walk.” The snarky boy cut him off, before standing up and stomping into the forest, ignoring the concerned stares that followed him.

As soon as he was out of sight, the irritation on his face morphed into sadness. Legend hadn’t even thought about the possible danger to his friends, and it wasn’t even worth it. He didn’t have enough time; he didn’t get to hear what Marin wanted to tell him.

Why was it that Koholint haunted him? Why did he get it back, only for it to be ripped from his grasp? Why did the place that he cared for so much, the _girl_ that he cared for so much, have to be a dream?

Legend sighed deeply, closing his eyes. He supposed that no matter how much it hurt him, he would have to live with it. After all, sleeping potions didn’t work any better than a normal night’s sleep did, so what was the point?

He would just have to live life knowing that every night he would have to watch his dreams be torn to shreds and dissolve into nothingness. He’d have to accept the fact that every night he’d destroy that land over and over again, for all of his life.

If nothing could change that, then what’s the point?

Putting his signature smirk on his face, he headed back to camp. There was no use moping around about something that simply couldn’t be fixed. They were probably already worried enough, he didn’t need to concern them with his problems any more than he already has.

The others were already packing up when he got back, a few of them sending him worried glances, which he chose to once again ignore as he made a beeline straight for his bedroll. Legend followed the others’ example and started to pack his own things.

Within a few minutes, everyone was ready to go, yet the Links were all unusually quiet. Time awkwardly cleared his throat, “Alright, we need to make it to the nearest settlement by nightfall, but since it’s fairly close, we’ll probably make it there with plenty of time to rest up and get some supplies.”

The other Links nodded, a few murmuring out their agreements, before they all set off down the dirt path. The walk was fairly silent, besides a few whispered conversations. Though, as time went on, things slowly went back to normal.

Before Legend knew it, Wind was back to bouncing around Warriors excitedly, Twi was back to chatting with Time, Hyrule was back to staring at Wild’s Sheikah Slate as the two of them discussed something animatedly. Sky was smiling contentedly and Four was observing the others quietly.

Legend was doing his best to keep his expression somewhat happy, yet the heaviness in his heart seemed to weigh down the corners of his lips as they threatened to sink into a frown. 

A certain redhead was constantly on his mind the entire walk, distracting him from the others. Legend exhaled, looking up at the sky. The sun was high above them, shining brightly, yet doing nothing to light the darkness of his soul.

A soft breeze lightly ruffled his hair, pointing his gaze towards the cliff that stood just next to them. From what he could tell, it was pretty tall, but probably not tall enough to be fatal if one were to stumble over it.

They would probably just go into a…

Oh. 

Legend shook his head; those weren’t thoughts that should be going through his head. He tried to focus on his other surroundings, the Links, the grass, the monsters-

Wait, the monsters?

Sure enough, just ahead of the group, a pack of moblins were rapidly approaching them; wooden clubs raised high in challenge. Immediately, the heroes drew their swords, ready for battle. As soon as the first of the monsters reached them, metal blades cut into wood, sending splinters flying.

Some were knocked off the cliff, screeching as they fell. Others were able to hold their own against the Links, but were losing quickly due to their weapon choice and the number of heroes. Legend grunted as a heavy club collided with his sword, pushing him back.

At some point he had found himself fighting three of the moblins, slowly inching towards the edge of the cliff. The others were too occupied with their own battles to offer any help, so, for the time being, he was on his own.

Legend’s eyes flicked to the cliff. He knew it wasn’t a fatal fall, he knew that. It could just…put him to sleep; a sleep that would last much longer than any potion could. He finally had a solution, a way to stay on the island he loved so much, to dream to his heart’s content.

All he had to do was…nothing. He could finally be with her, and not just for a night.

His grip loosened on his sword.

All he had to do was nothing.

One of the moblin’s pulled its club back, ready to strike.

Legend smiled, Marin was so close. 

_All he had to do was nothing._

With an apology to the others on his lips, he felt the club collide with his chest, sending him falling straight off the edge of the cliff, into the sweet embrace of darkness.

_”Legend!”_

“Link! Link, were you even listening?” A female voice asked, exasperated.

Link opened his eyes, seeing a familiar redhead staring at him, “Huh?”

“You were daydreaming again, weren’t you?” Marin shook her head, “I _said_: Isn’t this view pretty?”

She gestured out at the beautiful sea that stretched out beyond the horizon.

A soft smile formed on his face, “Yeah, it really is.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes, admiring the view, before Marin broke the silence.

“I had fun today! We should do this more often!” She exclaimed, standing up, Link quickly following her example.

“I’d like that.” Link replied, happiness reflected in his eyes, “But for now we should probably head back.”

The girl sighed, “Yeah, I suppose so.” Then, she smirked, “I’ll race you!” Marin dashed off towards the village, laughing as Link spluttered indignantly behind her as he attempted to catch up.

The two chased each other across the field, grinning all the way to Mabe Village.

Out of breath, Link stopped running, and leaned over, placing his hands on his knees. He could hear Marin stop just ahead of him, breathing heavily. They both looked up at the same time, smiles stretching across their faces.

Linking their hands, the two walked back to Marin’s house.

Tarin was sleeping, much to their amusement. Though, they decided to let him rest and head to the Flying Rooster statue just behind the house. For a while they sat there and chatted, their smiles never once leaving their faces.

“Hey, Marin?” 

“Yeah, what’s up?” She was looking at him, happiness clear on her face.

“Do you think we could…play together? Like old times?” Link asked shyly, pulling out an ocarina.

Marin’s eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly. 

Link placed his instrument to his lips, ready to play, and Marin started to softly sing. After a moment, the sweet sound of the ocarina joined her voice. Together, they created a beautiful, yet haunting melody. 

The song stirred something in Link’s mind. Almost like a memory of a distant dream. People flickered across his mind’s eye, places came and went. 

_’Legend! Please, wake up!’_

He stopped playing abruptly, making Marin stop singing, turning to look at him in concern, “Link, what’s wrong?”

Link shook his head; he was probably just imagining things, “It was nothing, just thought I heard something.” 

The sun was starting to dip from the sky, and Link’s stomach growled.

The redhead giggled, “Someone’s hungry.”

He smiled bashfully, nodding.

Together, they slipped back into Marin’s house, grabbing a loaf of bread and a few fruits from the fruit basket that sat on the table; Tarin never stirred throughout it all. Giggling to themselves, Link and Marin sit down just outside, enjoying the colorful sky as they ate.

As Link bit into an apple, he couldn’t help but feel it was a bit…strange. It tasted like an apple, but it seemed like something was…missing. The flavor was almost…faded, but he couldn’t figure out what was wrong with it.

Shrugging it off, he finished the fruit and moved onto the bread. The feeling of wrongness seemed to follow, the soft interior of the bread as he bit into it, the hard exterior, the butter that was spread on top, it all seemed…wrong.

There wasn’t a way to describe it, but as he thought about it, even the breeze on his face felt strange…like it was…not really there. Shaking his head, Link pushed the thought out of his head. Of course it was real! It was as real as the ground he was sitting on, as real as the setting sun that was…where was it?

Oh, that’s right, it was over the ocean. For a second it was as if it wasn’t- no, it was always there, right?

Blinking, he opted to focus on his food instead. The two ate together, chatting animatedly, even long after they finished their fruit and bread. It was only when the moon was high in the sky that they decided to finally head to sleep.

Link snuggled under the blankets, easily falling into a peaceful rest.

_’We need…Lon Lon…Legend…hurt…’ A voice faded in and out of focus, it was deep, authoritative, _familiar_. _

_Echoed footsteps sounded in his ears, shouts, familiar ones, every voice sounded so familiar, yet they couldn’t possibly be anything but complete strangers. The world was dark, he couldn’t see, he couldn’t feel, he couldn’t do anything._

_He was trapped, unable to do anything but listen to the cries of his friends- the strangers._

_It was as if he was suspended in an endless sea of nothingness, only whispers of forgotten memories to keep him company._

_Lost and confused, Link silently screamed into the empty void._

His eyes snapped open, bolting up from the bed, hands trembling slightly. Link’s heart pounded in his chest, yet he didn’t know why. He recalled having…a dream of some sort. There were…people in it. There was…darkness.

No, not darkness, it was like…emptiness, a void filled with thoughts and emotions that he couldn’t remember. Link frowned, pushing the thought out of his mind. Whatever it was, it was nothing to worry about. It wasn’t real, so why stress himself out over it? 

Yet…those voices…

He was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of the front door opening. Looking up, he saw a flash of red hair and a blue dress disappearing outside. Was that Marin? Where was she going? Curious, Link slipped on his boots and followed, stepping into the sunlight.

The Flying Rooster statue was void of his redheaded friend, so he continued his search down to the beach. As he passed Marin’s house again, he startled as he noticed the empty patch of land just to the left of it. It had always been empty, yet for some reason he expected…something to be there.

He could almost picture it in his mind, a small house, something barking excitedly just outside of it…

Oh well, he was probably just imagining things.

Link decided to search the beach next, since he knew that Marin liked to hang out there sometimes. To his luck, he found her sitting on a log, watching the waves as they crashed onto the shore. He sat next to her, and the two sat there for a time, not saying anything.

“…Link do you…remember when you came to this island?” Marin finally spoke, her voice quiet. 

“Yeah, my boat got caught in a storm and I washed up here, then you found me and took care of me until I woke up.” 

She bit her lip, “What about before that? Do you remember why you were out at sea? Where you came from?”

Link considered it for a moment, “I…guess I don’t…but why does that matter? I’m happy here, with you, and everyone else.”

Something flashed in Marin eyes for a moment, but he couldn’t identify what it was. Then, she smiled, lips tight with an unknown emotion, “Yeah, I suppose so! Sorry for the weird question, we should go get some breakfast!”

She hopped up from the log, and skipped back down the beach, leaving a confused and concerned Link in her wake.

It had been a few days since Link and Marin’s chat on the beach, and he noticed that the redhead had been acting strangely. She would glance at him, eyes filled with sadness, _regret_. Yet not even a moment later, a huge smile was plastered on her face.

He tried to ask her about it a few times, even bringing up the conversation from before, but she brushed it off and changed the subject, so eventually he stopped trying. Link was wandering around Marin’s house, staring at the path that looped around empty patches of grass.

There weren’t any houses in Mabe Village besides the one he was residing in with Marin and Tarin. He _felt_ like there was more than that, but the empty town proved otherwise. The echoes of shouting children seemed to resonate through the grassy plains, yet nobody was there.

Marin was sitting next to the…bird statue again. Lately, she barely moved from that spot. Link sometimes wondered if she even came back to the house at night. She was singing that song again, her voice filled with a hidden sorrow and melancholy.

His heart ached to see her like that, yet any attempts he made to cheer her up only seemed to make her sadder, which she tried to hide with her smile, but he knew it wasn’t genuine.

‘I’ll always be here for you.’ He had tried to reassure once, but it only made tears gather in her eyes.

‘I know.’ She had responded, before turning and walking off to the beach, head hanging low.

Link stared at her as she sang, feeling so helpless. She was hurting, he could see that, yet nothing he did helped. Maybe a walk in the…woods…would…

Wait, woods? There weren’t any woods nearby.

Strange, he wondered why he thought there was.

“Link?” 

He looked behind him, seeing Marin standing there.

“Y-yeah?” Link stumbled over his words in surprise. He was shocked to see her trying to talk with him for a change.

She bit her lip, “Have you seen my father?”

“Your…father?” He tilted his head, “I don’t think I’ve ever met your father…where does he live?”

“Just as I thought…” Marin’s eyes were downcast, before she shook her head and smiled, this time it seemed genuine, “Sorry, I’ve been a bit of a downer lately, huh? Why don’t we have a picnic later? To make up for it!”

Link blinked, a grin forming on his face, “I’d like that.”

The two headed back to the house, leaving the statue- no, the…grass patch behind. 

Marin gathered up some food, placing it in a small basket. Link picked up a rolled up picnic blanket, tucking it under his arm, waiting at the door for the redheaded girl to finish packing their lunch. Smiling widely, Marin skipped to the door, basket in hand.

“You ready to go, Link?”

He nodded excitedly, and they set off, heading away from the empty land where a village might have been. 

It was quiet as they rolled out the blanket; no birds were in the sky, no critters skittering through the tall grass. The silence went unnoticed by Link, but Marin was staring up at the sky, as if looking for something.

“Marin, is something on your mind?” He asked, putting down his food, “You seem like something’s bothering you.”

Marin considered him for a moment, and then turned away from him, gazing at the empty island, and back to the serene sea.

“I…should tell you to about forget me, about this island, about all of this.” She paused, looking down, “Yet, I _want_ you to remember me, even if it hurts, I don’t want to be forgotten…”

“What are you talking about, Marin? Why would I forget about you?” Link tilted his head, eyes wide.

The redhead faced him, tears gathering in her eyes, “Because, you can’t- you can’t go on like this. I can’t let you keep going on like this. This dream is falling apart, your _mind_ is falling apart. Link, you can’t dream forever. You have to wake up.”

Link stared at her; eyes wide, before his cheery look dissolved, being replaced with anger.

“But…I’m not dreaming…” He glared at the ground, “This is a reality, this is a world, and I’m not letting it die, not again!”

“Link, you’re _dying_! You can’t stay here!” Marin tried to reason, lips quivering as tears streamed down her face. They both were standing up now.

Link’s fists clenched, “I don’t care! I don’t care what happens to me! I won’t let you die!”

She exhaled shakily, before closing her eyes, gritting her teeth. Marin walked closer to him, each step weighing heavily on the green grass. The sun pounded on them with intense heat, the wind collided into them like a punch to the gut.

“Then…I’m sorry, Link, please…live.” 

Marin then shoved him off the cliff. 

Immediately she collapsed to the ground, crying as his scream grew quieter and quieter. A faint splash from below echoed like thunder across the entire island. The land disappeared as the boy disappeared underneath the waves.

The last thing Link saw was Marin’s tear-streaked face far above him, sadly smiling, mouthing three words as she faded from view, and from existence.

_’I love you.’_

Link’s vision went dark as he collided with the water, nothingness enveloping his entire being. He wasn’t in the water, he wasn’t _anywhere_, he was just…floating.

Voices echoed through the void, calling for someone. 

_’Legend!’_

_’Please, Legend, come back to us!’_

_’We need you, Legend!’_

_’You’re not allowed to die, asshole!’_

_’Legend, you’re not done yet, damn it!’_

_’LEGEND!’_ All the voices rang as one.

Legend’s eyes opened, blurry shapes moving in front of him. He heard people talking, some excited, others concerned, but he only focused on one thing; the red hair that swayed just over him, the sweet, soothing voice.

“…Marin?” He rasped.

His vision started to clear, and he saw not Marin, but Malon looking at him, “Sorry pumpkin, I don’t know who Marin is, but it’s not me.”  
“Oh.” Legend quickly wiped some water from his eyes, clearing his throat.

“Legend! You’re awake!” Someone collided with his chest, hugging him tightly. All he could see was shaggy blonde hair, and he caught just a glimpse of a blue tunic. It was Wind. 

Everyone else was gathered around where he was laying, he noticed; Time, Twilight, Wild, Hyrule, Sky, Four, and Warriors. They were all there, which meant…

This was no dream, not anymore.

He wasn’t sure if he was happy or crushed by that fact.

“You feeling okay, Legend? You took a nasty fall, and you were a bit touch and go for a while there.” Time’s expression was neutral, but his eyes were shining with worry.

“I’m fine.” He moved to get up, dragging Wind, who was still hugging him, with him.

The elder hero stopped him, “You don’t need to worry about getting up just yet, we’re going to rest here for a few days, make sure that you’re healing properly, and then we’ll think about heading off. For now, just try to get some sleep.”

Legend raised an eyebrow, “But I just got sleep, lots of it.” He didn’t show it, but the last thing he wanted was to fall asleep right now.

The two stared at each other for a moment, and then Time nodded, “Alright, as long as you rest.”

He smiled gratefully, nodding, “Will do, old man.”

“I’m not that old.” The elder hero muttered under his breath, before speaking up, “Let’s let Legend get some rest, you guys. We can always catch him up on everything tomorrow.”

With that, Time and Malon ushered out the others, including Wind, who reluctantly released the other boy to follow everyone else. Giving him one last meaningful look, Time shut the door, leaving Legend alone.

He stared up on the ceiling, tears escaping down his face and dripped onto the bed he laid on. Marin was gone; for good this time. The dream had truly faded, the island had truly faded. He knew that if he drifted to sleep, no Koholint would be waiting for him this time.

And right now, he couldn’t handle that. Marin was truly gone, and she had been _crying_. The realization hit him; she hadn’t wanted to leave, not truly. They both wanted to stay together, yet…they couldn’t.

Marin was someone who had always been out of reach, an unrealistic fantasy, the actual girl of his dreams. Every night he laughed with her, smiled with her, they talked for hours sometimes, but really, he always had to wake up, he could never stay.

It was never meant to be.

He silently cried to an empty room.

The house was silent, besides the faint sound of the snores of some of the other Links. Legend’s bare feet met to cool, wood floor. He treaded quietly outside of the room, wincing at the slight creak of the door as he pulled it open.

Sneaking, he navigated through the small home and escaped into the night, grabbing his small bag on the way out.

The moon was brightly illuminating the ranch, lighting the way as Legend wandered the field. As he approached the stables, he heard a soft singing from within. It sounded exactly like…_her_ voice. Eyes wide, he peeked inside, seeing a redheaded woman singing as she sat next to the horses.

It was Malon.

Her voice was so achingly _similar_ to Marin’s…

Legend shook his head, he should go back to the house, he was just torturing himself by staying. As he turned to leave, a foot collided with a rock, making him shout involuntarily. The singing stopped.

“Link? Is that you?” He heard Malon call.

He cursed under his breath, and stepped into the stables.

“Oh! Legend, it’s you! Aren’t you supposed to be resting?” She raised an eyebrow, eyeing him knowingly.

“I couldn’t sleep.” He admitted, “And I came out here to get some fresh air and I heard you singing…” Legend trailed off.

Malon smiled gently, patting the space next to her invitingly, “Come sit with me for a bit, I think we could both use the company.”

He blinked, considering for a moment. She was so much like _her_, he wasn’t sure if he could handle being around such a reminder…but…

Malon was extending her kindness, and who was he to refuse that?

Legend silently took a seat next to the woman.

“Do you feel like talking about what’s on your mind, sugar?” She inquired, offering an ear to listen, yet also giving him the chance to say no.

“Not…not right now…can we just…sit here?” He asked, feeling awkward about the request.

Malon nodded understandingly, and the two stayed there, simply enjoying each other’s presence. To Legend’s surprise, he wasn’t bothered by being around her. She reminded him of Marin, sure, but it was as if the reminder was a sweet one, like a comforting whisper that some small part of his friend was still there.

That brought a small smile to his face.

“Um…Malon?” Legend chewed his lip nervously.

“What is it, pumpkin?”

“You know how you were…singing earlier?” She nodded, beckoning him to continue.

He looked away from her eyes, “Could you…sing something specific?”

“I can certainly try!” Malon smiled.

Legend reached a hand into his bag, pulling out his ocarina. He brought the instrument to his lips, and a soft melody filled the air. The Ballad of the Windfish rang throughout the stables.

Malon recognized the song from somewhere, but she didn’t recall ever hearing it anywhere. It was almost like…it was from a dream.

A beautiful voice joined the ocarina, nearly making Legend stop playing in his shock, but he recovered quickly and continued. As they played together, just for a moment, they weren’t in a stable full of horses; they were next to the Flying Rooster statue, on a small island in a large ocean. 

A girl in a blue dress and a hibiscus flower in her red hair sang with a boy decked out in green, his blonde hair swaying in the breeze as he played his ocarina.

Other instruments accompanied the two, like the sweet chimes of a bell, and the deep tones of a cello. For just a moment, it was like they were in a dream.

Legend felt tears falling down his face, but at that moment he wasn’t sad, he felt…content. Even if he couldn’t see her, Marin was still in his heart, in his memories, and he knew he’d never forget her.

Flying above, high above, a lone seagull disappeared into the clouds.


End file.
